How to Book Clients through Facebook Groups ft. Kelly Vanhoveln

Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Thriving with your host, me, Nosha Bufferos. Today I have a really special episode. It’s an episode where I get to talk about my absolute favorite platform with whom I lovingly call the Facebook queen. Her name is Kelly Van Hoglin and she is I’m going to be looking at my notes here so I can tell you all the good stuff. She’s a business owner of 18 years who has a really unique approach to business as it relates to marketing and sales. She has had remarkably 105 consecutive profitable months in business and counting, has hit multi6 figures and beyond, and she works with coaches and service service providers, helping them hit six figures and beyond and simplify their marketing so that it doesn’t feel like it’s taking over their life and makes them, you know, lose their sanity. So, without further ado, I want to welcome Kelly to the show. Thank you so much for being here, Kelly. I am so happy that you agreed to do this. Thank you. You’re welcome. >> Yeah, of course. Thank you for inviting me. It’s such an honor to be here. I love your Facebook groups. It is one of my favorite places to hang out on the internet. And yeah, I was just so honored when you reached out. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And you did such a lovely job with that introduction. I was like, “Oh, yeah. I really have all those credentials, don’t I?” >> It’s nice. And you know what’s so funny is we sometimes forget all the cool things we’ve done. And so something I did uh not that long ago, probably somewhere last year, is I actually created a Google Drive folder that has all the testimonials, case studies, screenshots, and cool things that I’ve helped others do, helped myself do, just to, you know, pick myself up on the days that we forget that we’re like, “Oh, yeah, we’re cool as I might need a reminder today.” It kind of was born from me needing to get that together for my website designer, and now it’s just like my little pickme up. So, I’m so so so happy to introduce you in that way because I don’t think that everyone has those types of credentials and that kind of street cred proof. So, Kelly, I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times. I definitely hear it all the time. Anytime I’m telling people that I’m grow my community on Facebook, that I have this Facebook group that I’m so happy that you’re in, by the way. Um, and that is how we met. As Kelly said earlier, that she’s in my Facebook group and I don’t know how long you’ve been in it, Kelly. Do you know? >> Couple years now at least. Yeah. Oh yeah, at least I would say probably four or five years. >> Yeah, something like that. And um you know, I’m I’m really proud of the group that I’ve grown, but really I couldn’t have the group be what it is today if people like Kelly weren’t in it. Dropping value. And we’ll talk about what that means to drop value because I think everybody says that drop value, drop value, share value, share valuable content. But really, what does that actually mean? So when I tell people that I primarily run my business on Facebook or I have primarily in the past run my business on Facebook, build my community there, it’s one or more of a combination of things that I’ll hear is I’m just never on Facebook and I had you on Instagram or I feel like Facebook’s just for old people so that’s why I’m not on there or Facebook feels like it’s a dead platform like LinkedIn and I’m like no you really couldn’t be any more wrong. So, I wanted to kind of start off, Kelly, by asking you, how do we bust this myth? How do we how do we show to people, prove to people that those are actually damaging misconceptions about Facebook and they’re really leaving money on the table when they’re thinking that way? What would you say? What can we do to help them? >> I think that Owen is so so funny because Facebook is like the first thing I check every morning, right? Like, I love Instagram, don’t get me wrong. I have my nicely curated feed with all of my workout information and pickmeups, but like Facebook is where I go to connect with real life humans. And that’s what I love so much about it. And I have to laugh as you’re saying like people are saying Facebook is for old people. I’m almost 45. I think that probably puts me almost in the almost old person category, but Facebook is still my personal top priority when it comes to marketing and sales because that is where my clients are coming from by and large. And I would say Facebook has been my core marketing platform for the last six years. All of my clients in the last six years have come from Facebook and many of my clients also use Facebook and so they are in a variety of niches with a variety of ideal clients at a variety of ages and they’re all making money on Facebook. So no, Facebook is not dead. >> Yeah, it’s definitely not for just old people. So it’s like I’m not sure where that misconception comes from. I wonder if it’s because for a lot of us, we did start using Facebook when it first came out. I mean, for for myself, when it first came out, I was kind of using it like in middle school or high school or whatever. Probably way too early to be on there, but I was on there anyway. Probably lied about my age. And um we were just like uploading photos. It was just kind of a thing that we did in grade school. So perhaps it was a platform that just didn’t naturally grow with us. We didn’t share photos and albums in that way. and we didn’t update our timeline like noba foros is feeling tired you know like we just didn’t do that anymore and those kind of cheesy statuses and updates or whatever it just didn’t grow with us so maybe for a lot of people Instagram you know ever evolving Tik Tok being one of the newer ones I think that’s maybe what people equate with a younger platform which I would I would generally agree especially Tik Tok but I wouldn’t say that Facebook is only filled with old people just like Kelly I definitely have started my business with the foundation on Facebook and every age, every demographic, every race, every single type of human you could possibly imagine has been on Facebook. And I don’t know if you would agree with this, Kelly, but something that I like to say is that I believe that every type of business can find business and live in some way on Facebook. However, I don’t feel like every type of business easily can live on other platforms. And what I mean by that is like take something like a traditionally boring business like I don’t know like wealth management or like accounting. I always think finance when I go over boring I’m like sorry finance people but it’s you know it’s just traditionally more I don’t know cut and dry business right less personality and those businesses can live on Instagram and Tik Tok now right they’ll joke and say they have like Gen Z and millennial social media managers running their accounts and they’ll do the trendy fun cutesy posts but that’s not like the natural way to live right like they have to keep up on those platforms by doing those things. Whereas, if you were looking for a financial planner or someone to help you with investments, you can easily go into financial planning for women blah blah blah blah Facebook group and I bet you you will find amazing recommendations and referrals for someone to help you, right? So, I don’t know if you agree with that, Kelly, like that every business can live on Facebook, but maybe not as easy on every like it doesn’t it doesn’t translate both ways. Would you agree with that? >> I do agree with that. And it’s funny that you say wealth management because one of my long-term clients is actually a group of financial adviserss and yeah, they’re on Facebook and LinkedIn and it works for them. >> The thing that I love about Facebook and I think this is this might be the missing piece a lot of people don’t recognize is that Facebook groups are such a powerful driver of conversation and connections and referrals. >> There’s a Facebook group for everything. And when people are coming into a Facebook group, they’re looking for help, right? So you have automatically, if you are a business owner and you’re in these groups that have your ideal client or that talk about the topic that you’re in, like you have a whole pool of people who want to learn from you and hear from you. You can’t find that on other platforms. That just doesn’t exist on other platforms. So >> that’s that’s like my favorite thing about Facebook is the communities, the communities, the communities. And I know that’s like the focus of our conversation today, but that really is the key there. >> I really agree with you, Kelly. That’s such an epic point. And I think people look over that a little too often when they think that Facebook, you know, is too boring or dead. I think they’re really focusing on the timelines, right? They’re just like, “Okay, well, I’m just scrolling. I see that friend got engaged, that one had a baby, and that one did this thing, and and I went to this vacation.” And so maybe it just feels perhaps not as stimulating or it feels boring, but it’s like fair. Maybe the magic is in the groups. Just like Kelly said, like there is literally a Facebook group that exists for every type of person, for every group, for every community you can possibly want to be a part of. And like Kelly said, absolutely. When you’re in a group that is for a very specific reason, people are in there. It’s assumed that they want to be told about whatever it has that group has to do with. If it’s a business group, they’re okay that there’s going to be pitches. They’re okay with the fact that most of the content is going to be about business. I’m actually in this uh local group. I live in in uh Northern Virginia and there’s this local group to make friends. There’s women that are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, all sorts of varying interests. And yes, every single post is about fun, cool things that are happening. Hey, do you guys want to go hang out and try this thing, this new brewery, this new restaurant? Hey, I’ve never done skiing before. Are there any other newbies in here? Like those posts land incredibly. And there are so many conversations happening in the comments of those posts because that is what we expect from that particular group. And so by contrast is that on Instagram and Tik Tok and while those are really amazing platforms, what I think they lack is there isn’t this sense of first of all there’s no built-in group there that doesn’t really exist. They have like channels and whatnot and chat groups in those platforms. I think Instagram, I don’t know about Tik Tok, but there isn’t any such group. So I often describe posting on Instagram as sometimes like shouting into the ether. You’re like, “Hey, notice me. Hey, love me. Hey, bye from me. But you’re really like shouting into a black hole. And you know, with consistency that of course that gets better and Instagram is its own world. But with a Facebook group, it’s a contained group of people who are all like, “Hey, we’re here for this purpose.” Like, totally cool if all the posts are going to be about that. And that is what I love about Facebook, too. I agree with you. >> Yeah. Yeah. That’s really great to hear. I love that you have a local group because I I love the local groups as I think they’re so much fun. But that was a really great way to like really point to that use of it. And to your point earlier, you said Facebook didn’t grow with younger people with your generation and oh gosh, as I say this, this breaks my heart a little bit, my kids generation. But to your point of like Facebook didn’t grow with you, I can totally see why that is the belief. But Facebook has grown a lot and has changed a lot. I would say especially in the last probably 3 to 5 years where it really was cheesy like like you said, right? No is feeling blank or whatever, right? Like that’s >> you can poke them. You can poke your >> play Farmville and make sure your friends send you these quizzes. What type of bread are you, Kelly? What type of Harry Potter character are you, Kelly? Like all those I kind of missed those parts. So I >> I mean the cheese is fun. The cheese is fun, right? >> We can’t take ourselves too seriously. >> And I actually do I I agree with you that the Facebook has changed a lot in the last 3 to 5 years. It isn’t what you know it was initially with with some of that more silly stuff. It is more serious and it is a platform that was created for networking. Of course, you can catch up with your your friends and people in your personal life and see what they’re doing, but it is very much a place to tune in. Kind of get, you know, not I don’t want to say serious in a bad way, but get serious of like, hey, I’m here for this purpose and I want to network. I want to hire this person or I want to um get a referral and you can easily go into a group and get exactly what you need out of it if you’re using it the right way, which we’re obviously going to be talking about. So, I know you guys are excited to hear that juiciness. So, let’s talk a little bit about why growing a business on Facebook in 2026 is really a non-negotiable. I have been saying at the tail end of 2025 that 2026 was really going to be the year of personal branding and storytelling. And I would argue that it’s also probably going to be about relationships and community building. Why would you say to anyone listening that it is really a necessity to be on Facebook if they’re trying to survive and thrive in 2026? That’s a really good question and I do agree with you. The personal branding and storytelling matters and of course that matters on every platform, >> right? >> Personally, from my perspective, I think Facebook lends itself to that much more easily just because it does favor long form content. Whether you’re on the the news feed or whatever it’s called today, they change it all the time, I feel like, or you’re in a group, right? or you’re doing a live, the long form content is really where it’s at. That’s where you get to tell the stories. That’s where you get to show up as yourself. Not just for 30 seconds or a 15-second blip or 10 seconds of B-roll footage, but like you’re getting into the meat of you and your knowledge and your story and all of the things that then lead into the relationship building and the community building and the trust. And like >> the big and maybe you’re seeing this too, like the big thing that I’m hearing from clients across the board right now is >> the sales process, the client journey is just a little bit slower than it was a few years ago. People are a little more reluctant to just essentially trust some stranger that they met on the internet, right? Like the end of gig, that’s what you’re doing. And it’s so much easier to dig into that trust building component in this long form content than it is in your reels. And I love reels and I think they’re so much fun. But >> yeah, they just don’t give you that meat, that trust building component that you can get with the longer form content. >> Yeah, I definitely feel like as a word nerd myself when I started on Facebook because that was where I found entrepreneurs. That’s where I really found communities of female entrepreneurs living. Of course, they were already on all the other platforms too, but I felt like I belonged in a place for once when I found groups and yeah, there the they were dominated by long form content and it made me feel normal. It made me feel like in all the other places where you have to compete for keeping a a caption really really short, get the right keywords, make sure the hashtags are also there, that doesn’t matter in a Facebook group and trying to condense everything you want to say. Taking it from your script, putting it into video and then having to edit it down to like you said 15 seconds, 30 seconds. That can be really difficult for someone who really not only enjoys consuming long form content but also enjoys creating long form content like myself. And so if you guys are listening right now and you’re like, “Yeah, Instagram feels exhausting because I hate doing these 30-cond videos,” you’re not alone. And you might really want to check out Facebook because it is a platform like like she said favors long form content. I actually think there’s a similarity to podcasts. I think podcasts are also a really amazing way to build your personal brand and tell stories because they also favor longer form content there. Of course, there are podcasts that are shorter, but when you look at the research, the podcasts that do the best are 30 minute, 45 minute, 1 hour, 2our episodes, and that’s a really great way to accelerate that process of who is this stranger like Kelly said and hey, here’s my card information. I cannot wait to work with you. We must ask ourselves, well, in this day and age where people do have mistrust and that process is has gotten longer, well, what can we do as leaders online, as service providers, as coaches, as consultants? How can we shorten that process in a way that still feels ethical and still feels really comfortable for you and for the person you’re trying to to deliver to, to sell to? And so we can definitely dig into that a little bit as well. But I like to think of it, Kelly, and I don’t know if if you maybe feel the same way or not, but in the last 6 months, I’ve been really going to these like inerson networking and events, and I sort of think of it this way is when you meet someone in person, the way that you would connect with them and close them, if you will, is by being yourself. And you are obviously showing your personality. You’re telling relevant stories. You are having a back and forth conversation that is probably long form and you’re just having fun. You’re being you. You’re sharing what comes straight from the heart and from your brain and trying to help the other person right in front of you and you’re being generous. I would say translating that online is exactly what works so well on Facebook. Um and I don’t know what do what do you think about that? Have you gone to any like inerson events or feel like um I know it’s like slightly off topic but we’re talking about relationship building and Facebook actually facilitates offline connections quite well too. So I don’t know what your thoughts are on that. >> Yeah 100%. No I agree with you. I’m doing some inerson networking as well right now and it feels like coming home you know we avoided at least I did the in-person networking for so long because of COVID and then because we kind of got like I at least got really comfortable being in my house talking to people online. I was very surprised when I walked into my first networking group and I was like, “Oh, this is this I’ve been doing this. I’ve been doing this online for the last five, six, seven years, however long it had been, >> just in written words and now it’s like the same. I just brought it into real life. It’s amazing.” >> Exactly. And so I think folks like us end up doing really well surprisingly. We’re like, “Oh, wow. This is easier than I thought. I thought I’d be awkward. It would be uncomfortable. It would be weird.” But then those skills that we’ve been building for years on Facebook to foster connections, create great relationships, and of course ultimately serve the person the best possible way. Whether that means they become your client or not, that translates so well in person. So for those of you who are listening who maybe your main format is inerson networking and events, love that for you, by the way. I know that that can be challenging. So like, bravo. Consider Facebook. Not only will you find really good events through Facebook, first of all, Facebook. Kelly needs like sponsors for this episode because we’re really hyping up Facebook right now. Um, Meta Mark, where where are you? Um, seriously, it’s a great way to foster online and offline connections. Um, in a way that you might not find as easily on other platforms. I mean, really, just take Instagram for example. you are making a post and you are it’s it’s not that there isn’t competition in Facebook on Facebook or in Facebook groups of course there is but on Instagram for example if you are posting something you really are competing with every other person that just posted that very second and your community is on your profile that that requires everyone to be going to your profile to find a home but that’s not really a home that’s kind of your hub and that’s your virtual billboard whereas a Facebook group so Kelly and I met because she’s in my Facebook group and yes, it’s thriving female entrepreneurs and yes, my face is on it, but the group isn’t about me. I always joke and say it’s like don’t run your Facebook group like a dictator. It should feel like a community. It should feel like a home. I I feel honored when people tell me that one of the first things they check when they get on social media is my group because they’re like, I want to see what’s going on in there. And I find that really humbling because that’s exactly the type of community I wanted to make to make it that you have a reason to be there. And so, you know, by association, I also then have a reason to be there because I have to show up and make it a great place, but you you don’t really get that on other platforms because I mean, you do have comment sections of posts, I guess, but it’s fleeting, right? It’s gone. Like, after after that post is buried into six days ago, >> it’s kind of gone. But in Facebook group, you can search it back up or you can I think there’s like topic tags now, even though live streams expire after 30 days, which is sad. Um, all of that lives there and there are reasons for you to go back to a community time and time and time again. Whether it’s asking your own question and starting a conversation or tacking onto someone else’s conversation, it really feels like a little neighborhood each group. >> So, >> it does. And you know, you said something about people come to your community and check in and that is 100% true. every community, even if they’re on a similar topic, really has its own vibe, really has its own feel. And so, I absolutely do come to your group as one of the first ones every day because there are people that I’ve connected with in there that I want to check in and see how they’re doing. the vibe and the atmosphere of your group is one of collaboration and sharing and encouragement whereas some other groups it’s more about some other aspect of business building or it’s about some other like scene right yours is one of the most uplifting communities that there is so you guys if you’re not in that group join Facebook and then get in it >> please we would love to have you >> yeah absolutely like it’s like okay this is going to really date So, when I was a new mom, Meetup was a big thing. I don’t think Meetup is as big anymore, but like I could join a Meetup group for 20some moms or I could join a Meetup group for like moms of newborns or moms of toddlers or whatever the thing was. There was even one for like an individual community. There was one for like coffee coffee meetups, right? Okay. So, it was very I don’t want to use the word niched, but I’m going to use the word niche because I can’t think of a better word right now. It was very niched to my interests and where I was in my life at that point in time. And when I went to the individual meetup groups, then I was checking in with these people who I already knew had something really in common with me. >> That’s what I think translates into Facebook that people maybe don’t realize is like it’s not just this massive pool of entrepreneurs in a group like Nobuzz. It’s a group of entrepreneurs who really vibe with that community and with her approach to business and with her as the leader, which means you all have something in common already. You’re not just strangers across the board. Does that make sense what I’m trying to get at here? >> Yes. That’s actually a point that I feel like I haven’t seen anyone make for it. This is why I love Kelly and I think she’s just brilliant. Seriously, I I agree with you. I think that makes complete sense and that really applies to offline networking, too. People get This is why people get scared. Maybe this is why people are terrified of of platforms like Facebook or feel like they don’t have a place there is because they’ll join a group and they’ll feel like now what? But it’s like like you just said, you do have so much in common with the people already there. Guarantee there are people in there that are your exact income level. Guarantee there are other mom entrepreneurs. Maybe they’re single mom entrepreneurs. guarantee there are going to be people who um you know are reaching a massive amount of success but are still struggling with certain mindset issues that they feel scared to say out loud. >> Yeah. You you you never even think that like oh I’m more alike than different than the people in here and it is having that belief that Kelly mentioned that is going to allow you to form deeper connections because you’re going into that conversation feeling like oh we’re not that different and I can help you. These are your strengths and these are my strengths. like let’s see where we collaborate, where we can find a way to help each other. That is where relationships are born. This is where referral partners are made. This is where you find your business bestie. This is exactly how you find your next client. I love that you brought up that point, Kelly. That’s super cool. >> I’m going to remember that anytime. I’m also in groups as well. Okay, so I feel like Kelly, we have to like get to the this part where people are like, “All right, this is like what I’m here for.” Like Kelly, you know, should get to it. um how to actually get clients from Facebook groups because we’ve just been spending this time talking about how Facebook is amazing and how groups in particular are such a powerful tool and that if you want to survive and thrive in 2026, personal branding, storytelling, relationship building and community building are really really awesome on Facebook. How can they leverage those in uh on Facebook and actually find clients? Obviously, you are an expert at uh finding clients through leveraging your own profile and using other communities on on Facebook. What are the best tips you have for people who are listening and are curious or are already on the platform but feeling lost? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I want to state it very clearly and I know you said it, but I just want to make sure that it’s it’s there. I do not currently have my own Facebook community. I run everything that I do through my main p um Facebook profile >> and then I use from there I belong to several many I don’t know however many it is Facebook groups owned by other people or run by other people and all of my networking happens in those other groups. >> Yeah. So I think a distinction needs to be made because many people like Noba do own their own Facebook group and they get many of their clients from their own group and I love that strategy for the people who run that strategy. >> Yeah. >> For me having my a Facebook group of my own or community that I was in charge in of just wasn’t the right move for me. So I do all of my networking in other people’s communities. And the reason that I think it’s important to say that, and I don’t know if you’ve run into this at all with your clients, but >> running a Facebook group, >> that first little bit when you’re trying to get everything up and running, yeah, it’s a lot. It’s not >> just on some days for me. Just kidding. Kidding. Not kidding. But yeah, it’s a lot of work. >> It is a lot of work. And so like it’s just not the right move for everyone. So, I just want to assure people like you can work this strategy, you can network, you can find clients even if you don’t want to be the quoteunquote leader of a community or admin of a community or however you want to phrase it. So my core strategy is essentially I go into groups like Nobuzz and I see what people are doing talking about questions that they’re asking and I make myself available as someone who can answer questions for you who can share insight for you who can again build that relationship make a real connection and start a conversation with someone. A lot of that does happen when other people are sharing their content or their questions or asking for advice. Some of that also happens on my content. As I’m sharing things, I’m coming from the perspective of, hey, I think that this is a really important problem that I’m seeing my own clients have. I would like to share with you how you can help solve that problem as well. And so that’s the approach that I take in my content that I share in other people’s groups is really helping people in that group solve those problems. And because I’m in marketing business, it’s usually sales, marketing, content, copy, somewhere in that realm related. But you can do this no matter what niche you’re in. If you help women lose weight, get fit, find their dream relationship, find their dream job, whatever the thing is, start thinking about the problems that they are experiencing, the problems that they’re having, the worries that are keeping them up at night. And then how can you give a little bit of insight or a little bit of wisdom to help them heal that illness, find that relationship, deal with the the the crummy job right now while they’re looking for the new job, whatever the thing is. It’s not just about I feel like this is one of the most controversial things that I say. >> Oo, I’m excited. That’s exactly what the podcast is for. We say the bold, the honest, the unfiltered. So please, >> the one mistake that I see people make when they are engaging in Facebook communities is that they make it >> all about themselves, right? Here’s what’s happening in my life. Here’s why I’m so amazing. Here’s why you should work with me. I really see that the success comes from the people who are sharing their wisdom, sharing their insight, and like you said at the very beginning, right? value content, but it’s not just like surface level something that chat GPT could tell you. It’s like your lived experience. What have you actually learned in your life? What experiences can you share with your with the people in that group and what wisdom can you impart on them? And I think especially we as women and I I’m guessing here I don’t know for sure that much of your audience is women and I think we as women have so much wisdom to share that we’re reluctant to share. And I think coming into these Facebook communities and being generous with your wisdom is one of the best things you can do across the board >> for both your business and for just like making real relationships and friendships as well. >> Yeah. Oh my gosh. I hope you guys are really paying attention there because Kelly just dropped a bunch of gems right just now and I love that so much. So, the reason that I reached out to Kelly besides her just being the Facebook queen and being really good at what she does and that being very obvious to me is that I really enjoy consuming the content that I was seeing you drop in the group. And so, when I said that earlier, you are really good at adding value. What I mean by that, and I know Kelly just touched on that as well, and what value really means, is that you are putting in content that is truly imparting wisdom, that is helping people think a different way, helping them see that you truly understand what their issues are and what they’re actually going through right now. I think I do a good job with this, and Kelly does a really good job of this, and I I think this is kind of hard to do. This is why I talk about knowing the person you’re trying to sell to so deeply is we’re really good at I’m going to toot our horns right now because we’re really good at making sure the way that we’re saying it is very much in the way that they would be saying it or that they would be thinking. That’s really really important because a lot of the times and this can be unintentional. Sometimes it is, you know, intentional where people are just posting about themselves and making all their content about themselves like you said and sometimes it’s unintentional where they are putting it in a language or saying it in such a way that really only resonates with them. And I get it like it’s easier to write content that is like floating your boat. But I I I talk about this often. Your content is not about you. >> We are service providers at at heart, right? Mhm. >> So what we’re putting out essentially has to have meaning and value and support in some way for the person consuming it. Otherwise, we are not really doing our jobs. And so when I would see Kelly’s content in my group, I loved that it was straight to the point. I loved that it was helping us think a different way, helping us almost get a quick win from your posts because that is those are the values that I have always ran my business by as well. And it’s no surprise that we’re both doing that on Facebook because those types of content work the best. Really straight to the point, giving them a quick win probably within the post that they can go and do right away. Um, deep. Yeah. a deep understanding your people really, really well. Zero fluff in there. Like every word that you’re using in that post is meant to be there. It’s actually impactful. So, if you haven’t heard of Kelly before, first of all, why are you hiding under a rock? Um, but second, get on Facebook and add her. Join my group. You’ll see her in there. You’ll see her on her personal profile. Go read her post and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. And I love, Kelly, that you did make that very honest, transparent distinction between, hey, I am doing well in my business and able to help others do well without requiring them to need a Facebook group because absolutely, like you said, I think a lot of people do come in to uh these Facebook groups and they’re seeing these mega groups and they’re seeing the people who run the groups like myself and they’re saying, “Okay, well, they’re doing well, but they have their own.” either it’s not for them, they don’t want to do that, or they’re like, “That just feels like a lot of work and I don’t feel up to the task.” Totally get that. I love that everyone listening has the example to see that you could have 105 consecutive profitable months and counting and multi6figure years and also help most importantly help our clients achieve those types of amazing results. And you don’t have to have Facebook group. You don’t have to have this massive community if you don’t want to. you can still use Facebook, as Kelly said, as a networking tool because that is originally what it was made for. So, I I thought that advice was so helpful for anyone listening who doesn’t have a Facebook group and doesn’t intend to have one. So, for those of you who are listening who want to create a Facebook group and want to create that kind of community or maybe you already have one and you’re like, “Yeah, I know it’s not really making a lot of money and I don’t really know what the f I’m doing in there.” So, please help me. I’m going to step in and tell you guys what I think you guys could be doing better to crush it in your own Facebook groups. So, one of the first things I’ll say is make sure that your Facebook group actually has a purpose. If you are starting a Facebook group or if you currently have one, it needs to be incredibly specific. What exactly is the group for? And that starts with your name. I mean, the name doesn’t have to be extremely specific. That’s really up to you. I could have, you know, made it very, very specific. I went slightly broader. I just used my brand term thriving and then I just put female entrepreneurs and it’s one of the first Facebook groups that will pop up when you search female entrepreneurs just in uh Facebook which yay for SEO. But the purpose of it is this a place that’s going to be my promo world. Cool, I guess, if that’s what you want to do. Is it going to be a community where people don’t promo at all, which we’ll be talking about non-promo groups here in a second. Is it a group where everyone is just networking and no one can make paid offers but they are all just like helping each other for free? Like what is the purpose of the group? For me that had to be really really clear otherwise I would not feel like showing up because I wouldn’t know what am I doing here? And that’s a really huge part of running fa a successful Facebook group is if you don’t know your purpose, not only are no one no one is no one in there going to have a reason to hop into that community and talk and converse with each other and build connections, but you also leave the group and there have absolutely full transparency where I have gone through periods and traditions and Kelly’s been in the group for a while. She’s probably seen me disappear sometimes where I didn’t feel as connected to what I was doing in there. And when I got back on track, I was like, “Oh, okay. this is what I want to do with it. This is what it’s going to be. And then engagement rises back up and then you see me more in there and you see others more in there. So I would start with with that for sure is the purpose of the group has to be really really clear, crystal crystal clear. Yeah, of course we’d mentioned storytelling and and personal branding and connections and community quite a bit today. I want to add that the content that you’re sharing in there because that’s going to be the main way people find you in your group. The way that you differentiate from other members is what you share in your content. And I will say that you must know your person very, very deeply. There’s going to be a variety of different people in your group. Not every single person is going to be for you, and you’re not for them either. So, write that down. Who is the exact perfect dream ideal client that lives in your group right now? Or you want to attract more of that person into your group? Who are they? What are they going through right now? What is keeping them up at night? What are they dreaming of? What do they wish they had right now? What would they pay you a million dollars if they could to solve that problem for them? What is that? Can you answer those questions with relative ease? If you can, awesome. Your content is going to feel a lot more seamless and it’s going to really hit harder. But if you can’t answer those questions really well, your content is just going to fall flat and your group is going to feel like a nonvaluable place for the people that are in there. And I think a really big part of creating content that is valuable for people in your community is are you making them think a different way? Are you challenging them? >> I think Kelly, you are also neurode divergent if I’m not mistaken. >> You are. Okay. Yes. So I’m very ADHD. Like just super ADHD. Um, and because of that, I constantly question and challenge and try to think differently about the status quo of everything. But that has got me where I am today. That has helped me build a really successful business and also most importantly help other people do what I’ve done and way way better. And because that is the way naturally my brain works, that translates into my content. So, I would suggest you guys if you are feeling like your content is just getting likes or some claps or this was a really great post, right? Very common engagement comments you’ll see but not actually translating into booked calls, DMs, and of course sales. Then ask yourself, is your content really challenging the way people are thinking? Is it making them think a different way? Is it thoughtprovoking in some way? You don’t want to make your content just be here’s three steps on how to do this. We are in this chat pt world, this AI world where someone could probably just find that through AI. We’re in an information overload era. But with storytelling, with the way that you have come to a conclusion, the way that you view this particular problem and the way you would help solve that problem, that’s unique to you. AI can literally never replace that because it’s your experiences and skills and past uh that has helped shape the way you view that thing. So I know it sounds like sometimes a little bit cerebral when I describe this to my clients. It can feel difficult how to take all that stuff in your head and put that into content. But one exercise you can start with right now for those of you who are listening is what is one way you think about something that you know that other people probably don’t think that way about that particular thing. And I’m sure if you sit with yourself for that question, you will find that you have quite a list there and start there because that is what kicks off your personal branding, which would totally be another episode. But you think a different way about your industry, about a specific problem, a specific solution that others don’t think. Great. Share that online. Don’t be scared. Don’t just blend into the the plethora of all these millions of people in Facebook groups without giving yourself the permission to stand out. So, I would say that um I don’t know if I have a last one. I feel like we could probably do an entire episode of Kelly and drop all the Facebook group secrets, but I’ll leave it there. Provoking content. Um but I did mention a little bit of something about the the nonpromo group. So, for those of you who are listening and you’re like, “Okay, Kelly. Okay, Nosha, that’s cool and all, but maybe Noa’s group allows me to promo, but there’s like 99% of them that don’t allow me to promo.” So, Kelly, you wanted to talk to them about this and drop some wisdom here about what do we do when we’re trying to promote our business and get clients, but the group has a very strict no promo rule. How do we get around that? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I know this is a little bit more of a nitty-gritty question for the people who are already sold on the idea of being in Facebook groups, but I think this is probably one of those like let’s change how we think about this and look for the solution rather than just accept that there’s a problem and let it be a dead end. So, there are absolutely groups that don’t want you talking about your work, putting in links, anything that has to do with actually the business part of running your business. It’s just the nature of the game. Though, to be honest with you, are some of my most lucrative places to hang out, some of the most >> profitable communities for me. There’s one group in particular that I’m thinking of that literally 60% of my clients in the last year have come from this one specific group. And the reason that I love that group and the reason that I believe these groups can be so lucrative is because people feel more comfortable bringing their real struggles, their real problems because they know they’re going to get answers in this group. They’re not just going to have someone drop a link or send them a direct message being like, “Hey, I can help you. Here’s my offer.” Right? So, what that allows you to do is just like you would if you were in a face tof face networking group like we were talking about earlier. If someone said, you know, I’m really struggling with X, Y, and Z, you’d be like, you know what, I have some advice. I’ve been through that. Let’s talk about that a little bit. Right. You have this conversation where you’re not just immediately like, okay, I’ve been through that. Give me my advice right now. Right. You wouldn’t do that face to >> Yeah. You wouldn’t. >> Same thing in these non emotional Facebook groups, right? You can have that conversation via the comment thread and let them see your expertise. Let them see your insight long before you even think about sharing an offer, sharing a link, inviting them to your community, inviting them to your master class, whatever the thing is. the relationships start out a lot more authentic and real and that makes them stronger faster which in the long run it sounds counterintuitive but does lead to faster sales. >> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I I really want you guys to listen to Kelly here because the misconception is that if the group doesn’t allow you in promo surely it must be a dut group. I’m just not going to use the group. That is not true. Before I had my Facebook group, of course I had to leverage other Facebook groups and other communities on the platform and 100% what Kelly is doing is exactly what I also did. Okay, I realized that hey um people are going to have questions in these groups and I don’t have a fancy network. I probably didn’t even have a fancy website. I didn’t really have anything but I did have the knowledge in my head and I had the compassion in my heart and definitely the time, you know. So, I was going to do whatever it took to build these relationships and help others. And I know that by of course the byproduct of that is going to be money and and amazing clients that you get to work with who renew with you year after year and tell people about you. Like that’s a blessing in and of itself. And you better believe I went into those groups and and did exactly what Kelly just said. Like that 100% works. And I was doing that years ago. I’m telling you right now that literally still works. You Kelly is proof of that. Kelly’s clients are proof of that. my site’s proof of that that you got to go with these groups and I don’t know be a human and like talk to them. And just as Kelly said, you would do the same thing in person. You would absolutely be generous with your time, energy, effort, and information. You in fact, people in person are generally more generous with their with their information and their support to you. So why make that different online, guys? Let’s not have that distinction. Like I do see there is a big distinction. People are like, “No, I have to like you. You’ve probably heard people say this before, Kelly, and your clients may have asked you because they definitely asked me, “How much is giving away too much in my content? How much giving away free stuff is too much?” Well, this podcast is free, and we definitely just dropped a bunch of gems that we could have charged you for, but the point is the greater impact, the greater ripple of helping other women rise. Like, we all win in that. Like, there is no, this is not a zero sum game where it’s like, my gosh, do I give too much free information away or I’m in these non-promo groups and all I’m doing is just giving free advice. It’s just not going to help me. It absolutely does because something I will tell my clients and I think is really awesome is that when you are dropping those awesome free gems in those groups, of course they click your profile. Like duh. So make sure your bio is on point. Wink wink nudge nudge. Because if you’re following what Kelly has just told you, of course if what you dropped is awesome and is very helpful and makes an impact for the person, they’re going to go to your profile. They’re going to naturally look at your other posts that have your call looking links and they’re going to go on your website or they’re going to DM you. You know, they’re going to DM you and be like, “I saw you in this other group that I think we’re both in. Um, you dropped some really cool gems for this other person who asked a question. I I don’t want to go too much on tangent, Kelly, but I’m sure you have noticed this, but this is crazy. the amount of clients I’ve had in those years that specifically told me that you didn’t respond to my post, but I saw you commenting on someone else’s post. >> Insane, right? So, this if you are listening right now and you’re like, “Yeah, but I know Kelly said that you you want to answer questions, but like there’s already like 50 comments on that on that post, freaking comment.” Anyway, I’m telling you right now, the amount of people that would be like, “You didn’t like I don’t ever post in that group cuz like I just don’t post.” But but I love lurking in the groups and I saw your comments on other people’s stuff. It’s not just the person who made the post. So what Kelly said about dropping those gems and those those nuggets of wisdom, it doesn’t just impact the person who is making the post. It doesn’t even just impact the people who are in the comments. It impacts every single person in that group who has the chance to read it. So your effort always counts when you are helping people. and the impact and the ripple the ripple impact of how many people it actually helps and ultimately the amount of leads it brings you is far greater than you think. So in conclusion, Facebook groups are are clearly a massive ROI if you’re using them correctly and you’re putting people, connections, and relationships first and putting the money you make and the leads you bring in and all the sales you’re making secondary. When you do that, those two come together inevitably anyway, so you win regardless. >> Yeah, it’s a beautiful circle. It’s a beautiful circle. You get to help people and then more people see your stuff and then you get to help more people and then they come to you. It’s incredible. >> It really is. And that’s what we’re here for. I said that earlier. We are service providers first. This is like why I don’t really do like how to have a successful business course. Might I do a course in the future that is like a very specific thing like how to write content that converts? Maybe like some specific skill. But the reason that I don’t have courses is because I’m not trying to create a bunch of beginners who are just consuming information and then going down rabbit holes of consumption and not completion. I want to have proficient people who are making big money boobs and are really moving the needle because they’re doing strategic things. And I know you’re all about strategy, too. You have a really cool offer by the way. You have to share it with us. It is called fully booked coach master class. Kelly works with coaches and service providers specifically. First of all, can coaches and service providers find benefit in this? Who is this for and why does everyone listening decide for this? Tell us a little bit more. >> Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So, that particular master class is targeted specifically for coaches. If you are a service provider or you have courses, I do touch on some things that will be really useful for you in that class. But overall, it is focused on coaches. But I would love if you’re a done for you service provider or you sell courses, if you want to email me or message me on Facebook, I have a whole slew of other resources for you because I really do believe and this is actually part of the core teaching of the class master class is I truly do believe that selling coaching versus selling courses versus selling done for you services is different because the needs of your ideal client are different. They’re looking for different things. So, that’s actually the core of what I walk you through in that fully booked coach master class is how to look at your offers first and then develop the messaging, the marketing, and the sales process that is it the right one for that type of offer. That way, you can be making sure that there’s cohesiveness and alignment with all the actions you’re taking. You’re not just pulling together random strategies and praying that it works or crossing your fingers and crossing your toes and hoping that this is the time then this is the things you say that work. There’s actually a plan for real cohesive action towards your goals. >> Yes. It’s like there are systems. No one’s saying that they’re going to happen overnight, but there are very much systems that you can put into place aligning with a really great I love that you said offer first. I just I just dropped a previous episode about how if you want to make six figures in your business and beyond, you got to start with the offers. I love, Kelly, that you’re starting with the offer in the master class and how everything stems from it, the messaging, marketing, sales, because you have nothing if the offer isn’t super aligned and and really good. This is super exciting. Tell us how much it is. How can they find out more information about it and access it? >> Yeah, absolutely. So, this is my free master class. This is my cornerstone teaching. So, I put it up there for everyone. Um, it is at kellyvanhovland.comfully-booked. I will have Noah send the link because my last name is very difficult to spell >> and my first name. >> Yeah, >> we’re up. My first name is crazy. Your last name’s crazy. It works. >> Yeah, it’s great. >> Perfect. I will definitely drop the link for you guys for those of you who are interested. Also, she just said that it’s free, so I don’t know what would hold you back from from being able to go in and and watch this. Sounds really really juicy and exciting. Kelly, I really appreciate you being here. I feel like this was such a cool episode. And for those who are Facebook curious or who have been on Facebook for a while, um, but are losing hope because it’s not working the way that they wish it was, I hope this was super helpful for them. I feel like it really was. I really appreciate you being here. I had such a great time on our episode. >> Yeah, me too. Thank you for inviting me. I do appreciate it. >> Of course, if you want to connect further with Kelly, all her links will also be below. And this was amazing. Thank you so much. I hope you guys will tune in to the next episode. Thank you so much for giving us your time and your energy today. And we’ll see you next time. Bye.